The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-03-25

THEODORE G. HULETT. honal Concentration
association and Mr.. Van Allen is the editor
of its organ, The Cementarian, Issued monthly
from this city. s &C.
Judge Huett has retired from the active
pursuits of life, and says his only aim in life
is to give his idea to the world. His age do
not know, but he looks to be close upon co.
He is short, firmly built, and his bair and
beard are white @
He has an office. and sits in it every day
writing letters to answer the questions asked
him by people all over the world.
Like most other ideas of revolutionary
character, the cementation idea was discov-
cred by chance. In August. 1874, Judge
Hulett stood in the museum of the mint at
Philadelphia, examining the cast of Oliver
Cromwell, taken after DEATH From con-
temptation of the beauties of the natural over
chiseled bust work he conceived the cementa-
tion idea. The sanitary features were not
considered until later.
Upon his return to the country he pro-
ceeded to work Immediately Four frogs
were killed and imbedded in preparation
composed of third Portland cement and
two thirds sharp, clean sand. Water was
mixed until plastic state was reached. A
box was half filed with cement the frog was
laid in and the upper coating added. Fl t!sa
same time green pear was inciosesl il, ;tla
of cement. Before the substance was lur
the dates were scratched into the cement ST.
face. saw these blocks opened 10y the boarl
of health officers The frog was there in u
very dry state-mummifed it seemed to b..
The pear was wrinkled and as hard as the
stone surrounding it. The moisture and
gases had evidently escaped through the
stone.
Judge Hulett was in 1874 50 impressed with
cementation as a mode of burial chat /. i'm
drawing his will he made an imperative pro-
vision that his body should be SO treated
He also decided to cement LIS wuole FAM. !
as they passed away, unless they should ex-
press dissent. When his Oldest daughter
came to die she was asked about being
cemented She said to her father. for lie had
explained the process: "Is not that pretty
close auarters" He considered this as
protest, yet he wished to bury her as nearly
as possible in accordance with his convictions
while escaping the confinement of the body
He had grave dug 16 inches larger than
the box in which the coffin was inciosed
Concrete mortar, compos ed Of Akron consent,
sand and coarse gravel was mixed in the
proportion of one part cement to two parts
sand and gravel. The grave was filed to
depth of inches, and the outer box lowered
upon it as soon as it was set This left s
inches clear of the sides of the grave Braces
were placed in the box to keep it firm. The
cement was now turned in and tamped down
until it was even with the top of the box.
The day following the body was taken from
the vault and the coffin containing it lowered
into the cemented box. The outer lid was
screwed on and inches of cement was placed
on top, which readily united with the sides.
When the cement had partly hardened the
inscription was engraved on the surface with
blunt iron point, and the grave was filled
with earth.
Eighteen months afterward a second
daughter died and was buried in the same
manner. These were the first collins inclosed
in cement, but since that time some seventy
bodies have been so buried in lakewood cem-
etery. The last one was that of David
Hulett Thomas, on the 10th Of January, 1881.
There is another mode of cementatfon that
has not yet been tried, and it Is that Judge
Hulett is waiting to see. This method pre-
serves the cast OF tile body, the cement being
applied in the nude form. There is no doubt
but that the nude method will better preserve
the body from decay, from the fact that
when Til, easket is cemented the coffin con-
tains from eight to ten cubic feet Of air. By
the nude l,scess the tic influence is over